SMBs Face Difficult IP Communications Questions

The needs of SMBs and SMEs are becoming ubiquitous in the IP communications field, and now more than ever, are driving the development of future UC and integration products. The times are changing once again, from the times of little-to-no integration through disjunctive networks, to the demands of full and feature-laden deployments. What’s the bottom line for SMBs? Deliver an extremely high feature-to-cost ratio that is easy to deploy and maintain. As we’ve previously discussed on Considering Convergence, this is a tall order for companies servicing these needs. The market is rich with endless possibilities, platforms, and solutions to cater to every need and whim of the SMB and SME. A growing request of many readers is to summarize the key points that SMBs and SMEs should consider when looking to overhaul their communications solutions. I’m happy to comply, and can offer the following suggestions and strategies about this often dizzying and continuously changing landscape. Think Outside The Box: SMBs need flexibility, whether they realize it or not. Often constrained with limited financial and labor resources, they need a lot of functionality and more importantly, potential. A PBX alone will not serve modern small businesses in today’s world. Envision systems that offer interactive environments for end-users, such as web-based portals and UIs that allow for further visibility and interaction. Look At Alternatives: Brand recognition drove PBX and UC product sales in the 80s and 90s, but the product and solution availability has changed. Often, new and innovative products penetrate the market every day, but are overshadowed by the large “telecoms” of the world. With the advent of open source and standards-based development, there are many more solutions. Beware of Imitations: With the introduction of new products and companies into the market space, it’s even more important to do your homework before investing in a recent start-up. Look for companies that have pioneered the technology, and one that actively contributes to the market space. Clear, time-tested development strategies around standards-based technologies, and an innovative feature set propel successful platforms into the market, and rightfully so. With this, there are also platforms and solutions that tend to follow in the footsteps, and lead to half-baked solutions. When investing in emerging technologies, do your homework, and stick with the known leaders in those markets. SMBs and SMEs need the long-term availability and customer relationships on which to build their technology solutions and infrastructure. Not all solutions, products, and companies can stand the test of time. As an example, descendants of open-source solutions, such as the Nortel SCS500, pbxnsip, and the Fonality and Trixbox platforms need to prove themselves in the market immediately, as they run the risk of being driven out of the market due to fierce competition by those who pioneered and originally developed and defined the UC and modern IP-PBX landscapes. Hybrid Still Viable Option: Those migrating from TDM, or digital systems demand the ability to re-use their handsets in their new communications platforms. Companies such as Citel allow an existing investment in hardware to be re-used in a newer standards-based environment. In addition, hybrid platforms such as the Avaya IP Office are popular as companies make the switch from traditional platforms to their newer IP counterparts. Bottom line: There is a significant amount of research to be done by SMBs and SMEs looking to upgrade their voice and communications systems. With a plethora of options from many different companies, it can become very confusing. However, for those organizations that choose their future environment wisely, they will be richly rewarded with exciting possibilities for integration, scalability, and end user experiences.